Toads and Frogs in West Virginia
If you are looking to identify certain toads and frogs in West Virginia that you found and can’t figure it out from the page, you can check my Frog Identification and see how to contact me about helping you out.
Frogs in West Virginia
West Virginia is home to a variety of different frogs from the tree frog and true frog families.
True Frog Family – Ranidae
American Bullfrog (Rana catesbeianus)
Common Name: American Bullfrog
Scientific Name: Rana catesbeianus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The American Bullfrog is the largest frog in the state. They are found near permanent bodies of water such as large ponds, streams, and lakes. Once the males of the species reach sexual maturity, their throats turn bright yellow. They are very similar to Green Frogs but they don’t have a dorsal ridge down their back. It wraps around their tympanum.
Common Name: Green Frog / Bronze Frog
Scientific Name: Rana clamitans
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Green Frog is a medium to large sized frog. They can be commonly found near pretty much any water body such as ponds, lakes, or streams. Once the males of the species reach sexual maturity, their throats turn bright yellow. Best way to tell them apart from other true frogs below is the dorsal ridge on its back does not go all the way down its back.
Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)
Common Name: Northern Leopard Frog
Scientific Name: Rana pipiens
Location: Western half of the state
Breeding Season:
The Northern Leopard Frog is a medium to large species of semi aquatic species of frog. They vary in color from dark brown to slim green with fairly large spots all over their body.
Common Name: Pickerel Frog
Scientific Name: Rana palustris
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Pickerel Frog is a medium to large sized frog. Their dorsal ridge runs down from their eye to their back and inside there is rectangular boxes.
Common Name: Wood Frog
Scientific Name: Rana sylvaticus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Wood Frog is a small to medium sized frog. They vary in color from brown, silver, or red and they have dark “raccoon” eyes. When winter comes, the Wood Frog can freeze completely solid and then unthaw in spring. They start to breed once the ice is off the ponds. After breeding season, they are often found in the woods, far away from any water bodies.
Tree Frog – Hylidae
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)
Common Name: Blanchard’s Cricket Frog
Scientific Name: Acris blanchardi
Location: Western edge of the state
Breeding Season:
Blanchard’s Cricket Frog can be distinguished from the other tree frogs because of its size and lack of markings on its back.
Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)
Common Name: Spring Peeper
Scientific Name: Pseudacris crucifer
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Spring Peeper is a small chorus frog that can often be found on forest floor or low on trunks of trees. They can be hard to find due to their small size, however, in spring when they come to temporary ponds to breed, they are easier to find.
Video of a Spring Peeper calling, thanks to M Dwyer, @MustelidDwyer on twitter
Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona)
Common Name: Mountain Chorus Frog
Scientific Name: Pseudacris brachyphona
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
Spring Peeper and the Mountain Chorus Frog are similar but the markings on their back can be used to tell them apart. The Spring Peeper has an X on its back while the Mountain Chorus Frog has 2 backwards parenthesizes that look like )(. Sometimes they touch that can kinda look like an x but there’s also a dark triangle between its eyes that the Spring Peeper doesn’t have.
Eastern Gray Tree Frog (Hyla veriscolor) and Cope’s Gray Tree Frog (Hyla chrysoscelis)
Common Name: Eastern Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla versicolor
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
Common Name: Cope’s Gray Tree Frog
Scientific Name: Hyla chrysoscelis
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The Gray Tree Frogs are nearly identical besides their calls and chromosome numbers. These medium sized frogs can be found perched in trees or on the side of your house. They are not always gray in color and can be green. They have yellow or orange coloration on their back legs.
Toads
West Virginia doesn’t have many toads – only three from two different families.
True Toad Family – Bufonidae
The family Bufonidae is known as the True Toads. They are known for their parotoid gland behind their eyes that secretes a poison.
American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus)
Common Name: American Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus americanus
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The American Toad is a medium sized toad with rough warty skin that’s primary brown in color but can have some black, gray, or red coloration. The toads can be found pretty much anywhere including urban areas.
Common Name: Fowler’s Toad
Scientific Name: Anaxyrus fowleri
Location: Statewide
Breeding Season:
The difference between the Fowler’s Toad and American Toad involves the head. In the American Toad, the parotoid gland the the crest behind its eye does not touch while the Fowler’s Toad has them touching.
Scaphiopodidae – Spadefoot Toad Family
Common Name: Eastern Spadefoot Toad
Scientific Name: Scaphiopus holbrookii
Location: Western edge of the state
Breeding Season:
The Eastern Spadefoot Toad is a small to medium sized toad ranging in color from tan to brown with small warts They have bright yellow eyes with elliptical pupils. They have a dark spade on their hind feet.